17th April

Similar again but the SE wind was maybe a touch lighter than of late with largely clear skies but again that may have been wishful thinking; there was a hint of some raptor passage through the day with the day’s highlight being a 2cy White-tailed Eagle which flew north over Ancum, reached Garso before U-turning and heading back south down the island and straight back out to Sanday (our third of the spring!) two Sparrowhawks, a Kestrel and a few Curlew flocks also went north.

                There wasn’t too much different across the land but there was a general increase in most species creating a busy day in the field as totals included 3 Woodpigeons, the first Sand Martin of the year at Westbeach, 161 Skylarks, 7 Rock Pipits, a Grey Wagtail, 2 White Wagtails, 56 Pied Wagtails, 10 Dunnocks, 90 Robins, 2 Black Redstarts, yesterday’s Redstart still, 54 Wheatears, 4 Fieldfares, 11 Song Thrush, 4 Redwing, 51 Chiffchaffs, a Willow Warbler, 6 Goldcrest, 2 Rooks, 3 Chaffinches, 3 Brambling, 4 Snow Buntings and 5 Reed Buntings.

                Other bits of note comprised 3 Herons, 14 Shelduck, 4 Pintail, 15 Shoveler, the Goldeneye still, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, a Hen Harrier, a Merlin, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 6 Bonxies and 8 Sandwich Terns with pairs seen mating at Gretchen (however, they do this most springs and rarely follow through).

White-tailed Eagle

Snow Buntings